C035

Harm Avoidance Tendency

B04 Threat & Self-preservation
Core LayerMML-1

Version v1.3.2

Definition

A stable bias toward safer options and away from actions that may cause harm (physical, financial, social), even when potential gains exist.

Poles

Each HES element is a spectrum, not a category: the Low and High poles describe how it presents at its two extremes, while the Reference marks the typical, everyday middle. The poles map variation across the range — neither end is inherently better or worse.

Low Pole

Harm approach: readily accepts potentially harmful choices; risk feels like normal background and losses feel tolerable.

High Pole

Systematically avoids potential harm; prioritizes safety even at the cost of foregone gains.

Reference

Moderate safety bias: risk is accepted when it is understood and justified.

Measure

Safety-shift in choice: the degree to which the person selects safer options in matched “gain vs. harm-risk” scenarios.

Measuring Methods

• Standardized choices with equal expected value but different harm-risk.
• Audit of everyday/financial decisions: proportion of “safe” strategies.
• Observation: tendency to choose insurance, buffers, plan B.

Empirical Anchor

Harm avoidance (Cloninger, 1987); behavioral inhibition system (Gray, 1970); anxiety sensitivity (Reiss, 1991).

Notes

Avoid moral loading; treat as risk/harm-avoidance preference, not cowardice.
• Distinct from physical (C036) and evaluative (C037) risk: C035 is a general harm-avoidance vector.
• Risks at MIN: repeated losses, injury-prone choices.
• Risks at MAX: excessive caution, missed opportunities.

Citation

APA

Human Elements System. (2026). Harm Avoidance Tendency (HES Passport C035, v1.3.2). hestable.com. https://hestable.com/passport/C035

BibTeX

@misc{hes_C035, author = {{Human Elements System}}, title = {{Harm Avoidance Tendency}}, year = {2026}, note = {HES Passport C035, v1.3.2}, howpublished = {\url{https://hestable.com/passport/C035}} }